


sweetest devotion

by tozicrs



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Fluff, Good Parent Maggie Tozier, M/M, Marriage Proposal, One Shot, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier is Whipped, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, Short and Soft, Soft Ending, They're soulmates, brief mention of the other losers, richie has always been in love with eddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 16:08:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19908484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tozicrs/pseuds/tozicrs
Summary: Forever was a long time, but in that moment, Eddie thought he would spend a million forevers with Richie.





	sweetest devotion

**Author's Note:**

> title from sweetest devotion by adele  
> thanks to amaya for editing this with me until 3am  
> 

1982

Richie Tozier was six years old when he met Eddie Kaspbrak. Eddie had been sitting on the edge of the sand box, in a very heated conversation with Bill Denbrough, explaining the dangers of not using hand sanitizer when a blur of skinny little limbs and messy hair slammed into him, knocking both himself and Bill into the sand.

Richie had been playing catch with one of his new light-up shoes with Stanley (who always went along with Richie’s dumb games, that was the first rule of being best friends with Richie Tozier, just go along with his plans, it was easier than arguing for the entire recess period.) because it looked cool, when Stan threw it back way too hard and hit Richie in the head, sending him flying back towards the sandbox, where he crashed into Eddie and Bill.

Eddie had stood up with a frown and furiously brushed the sand off his clothes, reaching into his red fanny pack and then pulling out an inhaler and taking a hit, as Bill stood up next to him, blinking, dumbfounded. Richie watched them with a giant grin, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline rush of running into the other boys.

“Hey, can I try that thing?” he asked Eddie, who looked up, and gave him a dirty look in response, glancing at Richie’s dirty overalls with distaste.

“Are you kidding?” Eddie asked Richie, who was not kidding.

“There could be up to 560 _different_ types of germs in your mouth.” He added, very concerned at the thought of sharing germs, especially with a slightly dirty stranger.

“I don’t mind sharing my germs with you,” Richie replied, smiling at Eddie, eyes wide behind his glasses.

From behind him, Stan ran up to them, joining the group, and standing beside Richie.

Bill glanced at Stan and stepped towards him, “Hi, I’m Bill, and this is Eddie.” He said, gesturing towards his friend. “Who are you?” He asked, smiling and showing off missing teeth, while thrusting his hand out towards Stan, who seemed surprised anyone besides Richie was talking to him.

Stan’s eyes darted from Bill’s small hands, smeared with dirt from playing, to his face, taking in his innocent, vividly blue eyes and friendly smile, and as if deciding that he had nothing to lose, he shook Bill’s hand.

Richie looked at Bill and Stan’s connected hands with a face full of surprise, as if he couldn’t believe that Stan had willingly touched a _stranger’s_ hands, without even making them sanitize first! He _always_ made Richie sanitize.

“I’m Stan, and this is Richie.” Stan introduced them, releasing Bill’s hand and subtly wiping his own off on his freshly ironed, brand new khakis.

“I’m sorry Richie ran into you. ” He gestured to Richie, whose eyes were still locked on Eddie’s big brown ones. “We were playing catch with his shoe.” He glanced around the sandbox, and then grabbed Richie’s sketcher, handing it to distracted boy, breaking his focus.

Richie scrambled to put his now sand-filled shoe back on, stood up, and stomped for good measure, showing off the new shoes in all their LED glory. “Look, they light up, do you like them?” He asked Eddie with a hopeful look.

Eddie took one look at Richie’s shoes and another at Richie’s soft, hopeful face, and finally allowed himself to smile for the first time since Richie had crashed into him. Richie felt his little six-year-old heart skip a beat. “They’re really cool.” He said, “ I wish my momma would let me get cool ones like that, but she only lets me wear these, she says they have padding at the bottom to keep my feet safe.”

“Well, you know, you could borrow mine sometimes, you don’t have to tell your momma, and I won’t tell on you,” A light bulb went off in Richie’s head, “ Hey! Maybe you could come to my house sometime and you can borrow them. My mommy likes it when I share!” Richie exclaimed smiling a big, gapped tooth grin at Eddie, who nodded and smiled back.

As the four boys began to talk, they heard the teacher’s whistle blow, signaling the end of their recess. Bill stepped out of their tight knit circle and looked around. “Let's all play together tomorrow at recess.” he said, and that was that.

As Eddie and Bill walked away and headed to find their teacher, Richie and Stan began to walk in the opposite direction. And as Stan rambled on about how happy he was to have made some new friends, Richie glanced back to get one more look at Eddie, with his padded shoes and his red fanny pack.

When Richie got home from school, he rushed off the school bus and ran inside, his light-up Sketchers tracking mud through the halls. He was ignoring his mom, who scolded him from the kitchen, telling him to take his shoes off at the door. He went straight to the kitchen and sat at the table, looking expectantly at his mom, waiting for her to face him.

“Ahem.” He coughed loudly, getting her attention, “I have a very important announcement.” He declared in his most adult voice, pronouncing every syllable of his words as clearly as he could.

Maggie turned towards him with an amused look, used to Richie’s behavior. “What is it, honey?” She asked, sitting across from him at the table.

Richie crossed his arms and gave her his most serious, business-only look (one he often practiced in the mirror at night while brushing his teeth.) “I met my mate at recess today!”

“Your _what_ now?” Maggie questioned, eyes shining with amusement, crinkled at the sides from her smile.

“My mate, mommy! Remember, I learned about mates on Animal Planet, a mate is someone who you live with forever and you never ever leave them.” Richie explained excitedly, happy to teach the new information he had learned to someone else.

Maggie laughed and put her hand on Richie’s arm, patting it fondly. “Honey, mating is only for animals in the wild,” She explained, “Humans don’t mate, we fall in love, and get married.”

“Is married what you and daddy are?” He asked. “‘Cause, I wanna marry Eddie right now, and then he won't have to borrow my Sketchers, they can be his too!”

Maggie smiled at her son’s excitement and decided to go along with it. “If you’re going to marry him, you’ll have to get him a ring. You know what, I think I might have one you can use somewhere in here.” She said, standing up and rummaging around the kitchen, she let out a small “Aha!” and walked back to Richie with a smile, holding two small packages. She handed them to Richie, who picked them up and grinned.

Maggie had handed Richie two Ring Pops, one blue one, and another red. “One for you, and one for Eddie.”

Richie thanked his mom, ran upstairs to his room, and put the Ring Pops safely in the front pocket of his bag. The rest of the night, all he could think about was marrying Eddie.

* * *

Richie had woken up for school the next morning a whole half hour early, which was very hard work for a six year-old. He put on his nicest outfit, his favorite converse, and brushed his teeth extra long, buzzing with anticipation the entire time. On the way to school he was a ball of excited energy, he couldn’t wait for recess. He didn’t pay attention during any of his classes. (Not that he did anyways, Richie found his classes boring, never challenging enough, it was far more entertaining to throw pieces of paper at Stan’s head until Stan whipped around and glared at Richie, than to learn things he already knew.. Richie _l_ _oved_ to antagonize Stan. It was easily his favorite hobby.) 

The second the bell for recess rang, Richie grabbed his Ring Pops from his bag, and was off, bolting straight to the playground, Stan following close behind him with an annoyed huff. As soon as Richie got to the playground he began to look around for Eddie, face lighting up when he caught a glance of the smaller boy, who was standing with Bill, laughing at something the taller boy had said. Richie marched towards Eddie, face confident and determined. Eddie and Bill turned towards him as they saw him approaching.

“Bill, Eddie Spaghetti, how do you do? He asked in his best british voice.

“Do not call me Eddie Spaghetti,” Eddie said in response.

Richie waved him off, having more important things to discuss, like their marriage.

“I have something very important to ask you, Eds.”

“Don't call me that either Richie.”

Richie just grinned, reaching over to pinch Eddie’s cheeks. “Cute, cute cute.” He said, dodging Eddie’s swatting hands, before opening his palms to reveal two Ring Pops. Both Bill and Eddie looked interested at the sugary candy in Richie’s hands.

“Eddie, I want to ask you to marry me. That means we’ll be together forever, and you won’t have to share my sketchers, because they will be yours too.” Richie proposed, face covered in a huge smile.

“Will I get one of the Ring Pops?” Eddie asked

“Duh! The blue one is yours, I get the red one, and we match!” He said, opening the candy and placing his ring on his finger, before gesturing for Eddie to give Richie his hand.

Eddie pushed his hand eagerly towards Richie, who grabbed it, just as eagerly, and put the ring on.

“Now we’re husbands!” Richie smiled so hard his face hurt. Eddie smiled right back, just as hard.

* * *

1999

Richie was nervous. Hands shaking, palms sweaty, legs bouncing, nervous. On a normal day, Richie could confidently say he never got nervous, but today was quite possibly the most important day of his life, he was going to propose to Eddie, and unlike that day on the playground seventeen years ago, this time he was asking for real. 

As he sat on the swings of his and Eddie’s elementary school, waiting for his boyfriend to show up, his mind wandered to all the years he had spent with Eddie. Sixteen years. Engaged at six, and dating at fifteen, Richie had spent the majority of his life by Eddie’s side, and that's how he planned to spend the rest of it. Soulmates weren’t something he _really_ believed in, but he had always thought that if there was one word that really described him and Eddie, that was it. They had lived together for four years now, and everyone, even the losers club, had been doubtful about Richie and Eddie moving in together at nineteen, saying they were too young, that living together was too big a step at their age, but Richie couldn’t imagine a world where he didn’t wake up to Eddie next to him every morning, face soft and relaxed with sleep, legs intertwined with his own. Richie even loved Eddie during his morning crankiness, face pinched with annoyance when Richie wouldn't get out of bed to brush his teeth before smothering him with soft morning kisses. For seventeen years they had been _RichieandEddie_ , and being with Eddie was something that came to Richie as naturally as breathing, something he’d always known.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt a pair on hands on his sides, and a voice whispered “Boo!” in his ear. He turned around to see Eddie smiling at him, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Richie’s lip as he moved next to Richie and sat on the swing beside him.

“So, why’d you make me drive all the way out here?” Eddie asked, swaying towards Richie, and bumping their shoulders together.

Richie smiled, leaning into Eddie’s touch. “Do you remember the day we met, right on this playground?”

“Of course I remember, how could I forget the day the bane of my existence came literally crashing into my life, with his trashmouth and light-up shoes ” He said, laughing at Richie and reaching over to grab his hand, locking their fingers together.

“I wonder if six year-old Eds knew he was going to be stuck with that trashmouth.” Richie said, turning his head to face Eddie.

Eddie looked at him with a soft smile, eyes bright and full of love. No one had ever looked at Richie with as much love as Eddie always had. “I think he knew, and I don't think he'd want it any other way.” He squeezed Richie’s hand. “Are you gonna tell me why we’re here?”

Richie stood up and pulled his hand from Eddie’s, walking in front of him, and grabbing the chains of Eddie’s swing.

“You know, I proposed to you right here seventeen years ago.” He stated with a grin. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest, so _full_ of love for this perfect boy, sitting right in front of him, smiling up at him.

“I remember, you gave me a ring pop and everything, pretty serious for two six year-olds.” He joked.

“The day I met you, I went home after school and told my mom that I wanted to be with you forever. I can’t remember a single day when that hasn’t been true. You’re _it_ for me Eds.”

Eddie reached out and grabbed the bottom of Richie’s shirt, just holding onto it, like he needed to ground himself as those words sunk in. _Forever_. Forever was a long time, but in that moment, Eddie thought he would spend a million forevers with Richie.

“Richie, you’re it for me too. You always have been”

Richie smiled and stepped back, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a small, red ring. The base of a ring pop. Eddie gasped.

“I know you’re probably having deja vu right now, Eddie Spaghetti, I’m pretty sure we’ve been in this exact situation before.”

The smile Eddie gave him made Richie feel like he was flying, made him feel infinite. 

“Will you marry me Eds?”

Eddie shot up from out of the swings, throwing himself forward onto Richie who fell backwards, cushioning Eddie’s fall, as he landed on top of Richie.

‘Look at that,” Richie grinned “You’re the one who came crashing into me this time.”

“You kept the ring.”

“Of course I did. Been savin’ it for this day, when I got to really ask you to marry me”

Eddie let out a teary laugh, “I kept mine too.” He said, pulling Richie up for a quick kiss, then pulling away and sitting up on Richie’s lap. 

“Well, are you gonna put the ring on me?” He said, holding his hand out towards Richie, who grabbed his hand and slipped the ring pop base onto his finger.

Richie sat up, and shifted Eddie so he was sitting in front of him, instead of on his lap.

Eddie looked at him, with tear stains on his face, and a smile brighter than Richie had ever seen before. Richie leaned towards him and put his hand on the side of Eddie’s face, cradling it.

“I have wanted to spend every day of my life with you since I was six. You are my Everything Eddie Kaspbrak.”

“Soon to be Eddie Tozier.” Eddie said, leaning into Richie’s touch and grinning.

“You know, I was thinking I might like to be Richie Kaspbrak, figured your last name is the last thing you have left of your dad, we might wanna keep it.”

Eddie sat up and moved back into Richie’s lap, grabbing his face and looking straight into his eyes. Richie felt like he was _drowning_ in Eddie’s love.

“I never thought I’d ever say this, but I’m so glad Stan hit you with that shoe and sent you crashing into my life.”

“Yeah well, I never thought I’d say it either, but I’m glad Stan hit me with that shoe too.”

Eddie just laughed and pulled Richie up into a sweet kiss.


End file.
